Judge thwarts Trump administration’s attempt to access Arizona voter rolls
Summary
A federal judge blocked the Department of Justice’s lawsuit aiming to get Arizona’s detailed voter registration information. The judge ruled that the voter list is not required to be handed over under federal law, marking a setback for the Trump administration’s nationwide effort to access voter data before the midterm elections.Key Facts
- The Trump administration’s Department of Justice (DoJ) sued Arizona to obtain detailed voter records, including personal information like birth dates and partial social security numbers.
- US District Judge Susan Brnovich, appointed by President Trump, dismissed the lawsuit, stating the voter list is not accessible under the law cited.
- The lawsuit was dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning the DoJ cannot refile the same case in this matter.
- At least 13 states have voluntarily given voter information to the DoJ, including Texas, Ohio, and South Carolina.
- Other states like Rhode Island, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Oregon have also successfully opposed similar DoJ attempts.
- The DoJ has shared some obtained voter data with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for citizenship verification using a system called SAVE.
- Experts say voter fraud is very rare, and the SAVE system may incorrectly flag some legal voters, risking wrongful removal from voter rolls.
- Arizona’s Secretary of State, Adrian Fontes, defended voter privacy and criticized the federal request as overreach.
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